Clutch vocalist needs surgery; tour postponed

Friday, September 13, 2013 2:48 PM PT

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Official press release:

Maryland rockers Clutch have been forced to postpone the September tour dates of the "Earth Rocker" North American Tour. This is due to a health issue with singer Neil Fallon. Most of the shows will be rescheduled and dates are listed below. Support on the rescheduled shows will remain the same and come from The Sword and Crobot. Tickets that were already purchased for the dates in September will be honored for the rescheduled dates in January.

Unfortunately one of the shows could not be rescheduled and has been cancelled. This is show is Vienna, WV on 9/21. The shows scheduled for South Burlington, VT on 9/24 and Long Island, NY on 9/27 will be rescheduled for a later date, please hold on to your tickets. Refunds for the West Virginia are available at point of purchase. The band will still be playing "The Shindig" festival on September 14th in Baltimore, MD. All dates on the October - November leg of the tour will go on as scheduled and planned. The Hampton Beach, NH date originally in September is now scheduled for October 25. Unfortunately The Sword and Crobot will not be appearing on this new date in Hampton Beach, NH. News about support will be released in the coming weeks.

Clutch frontman Neil Fallon gave an update on his condition:

"Dear friends, this week I've learned that a childhood injury to the neck, a genetic predisposition for spinal disease, and 20 some years of head banging will exact a toll. I've been diagnosed with an ugly case of cervical spinal stenosis and two herniated discs.

"In some instances these conditions can be treated non-surgically. This is not the case for me. I have been advised by several neurosurgeons that my spinal cord has already been damaged and that I risk further damage were I not to address the situation. For this reason, I've decided to take care of this ASAP. Believe me, re scheduling a tour turns my stomach, but I believe this is the wisest choice given the prognosis.

"On Tuesday I will undergo surgery. The procedure will fuse three vertebrae together with a small titanium plate. I have faith that this surgery will go as well as it can, and that I will be back in the saddle for our October-November tour. On behalf of my spine, deepest apologies to those who had been looking forward to seeing Clutch over the next two weeks. We'll make it up to you."